Pushbutton set

ABSTRACT

A pushbutton set for selection of wave ranges in a device such as a radio or television receiver where axial depression of a button causes a coaxial sleeve to rotate through a preselected angle, and the sleeve is variably set to preselected positions prior to depression of the button by rotation of the pushbutton.

United States Patent inventor Wilhelinus Hermanus Christianus WithoosEmmasingel, Eindhoven, Netherlands Appl. No. 826,413 Filed May 21, 1969Patented June 1, 1971 Assignee U.S. Philips Corporation New York, N.Y.Priority May 31, 1968 Netherlands 6807774 PUSHBUTTON SET 4 Claims, 3Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 74/1027 Int. Cl Fl6h 35/18 [50] Field ofSearch 74/1027, 10.31,10.33, 10.35, 10.37, 10.39, 10; 334/7 [56] References Cited UNlTEDSTATES PATENTS 3,487,702 1/1970 Hoseh eta1. 74/1027 PrimaryExaminer-Milton Kaufman Attorney-Frank R. Trifari ABSTRACT: A pushbuttonset for selection of wave ranges in a device such as a radio ortelevision receiver where axial depression of a button causes a coaxialsleeve to rotate through a preselected angle, and the sleeve is variablyset to preselected positions prior to depression of the button byrotation of the pushbutton.

PATENTEDJUN 1 1971 V/IAA I I/VIII! fig.2

INVENTOR.

WILHELMUS H.CH. WITHOOS BY ZOO-w fl- AGEN PUSHBUT'IION SET The inventionrelates to a pushbutton set for the station selection in a radio ortelevision receiver by means of button bars depressible against springforce and rotatable pushbuttons with simultaneous automatic selection ofthe wave range, in which the preselection of the desired wave range isperformed by depressing and turning of a button.

In a known device a button can be coupled, by depression, with a coaxialsleeve having differently high teeth oriented backwardly in the axialdirection, one of which is chosen during the preselection. When therelevant pushbutton is subsequently depressed again, said toothcooperates with a control mechanism governing the wave range switch.

The wave range switch is often formed by a sliding switch arranged atright angles to the button bars, in which case the (axial) movement ofthe pushbutton has to be converted into a sliding movement at rightangles thereto, preferably parallel to the sequence direction of the rowof pushbuttons. In order to avoid a comparatively complicated set ofbars and levers, it is possible in principle to use a known transverseslide extending along the row of buttons and having slanting slidingfaces, each of which is adapted to cooperate with one tooth or with aplurality of teeth arranged in a known device on the pushbutton itselffor the preselection of the wave range. The latter device is verysimple, but it has the disadvantage of a great amount of inherentfriction, since during displacement the slide is subjected to a lateralforce, which is a component of the pressing force required fordepressing the button. The invention has for its object to provide adevice having a transverse slide, which is, however, not subjected to alateral force, which said component gives rise to only a small amount offriction, which advantage becomes manifest in the low value of the forcerequired for depressing the button.

According to the invention this is achieved by providing the button barnot only with the button, but also with a coupling disc having a radialfinger, and with a sleeve having an at least partly slanting groove inits cylindrical surface said disc and sleeve being freely rotatable withrespect to the button and axially displaceable along with the buttonbar. On the side of the coupling disc facing the button an axiallyextending toothing is provided, which is adapted to cooperate with anappropriate toothing on the button, and on the other side the couplingdisc an axially projecting toothing having slanting flanks is adapted tocooperate with a toothing on the sleeve, so that by means of the buttonthe disc can be turned stepwise relatively to the sleeve. A stationary,radial pin extends in the slanting groove of the sleeve so that upon anaxial displacement of the button bar the sleeve together with thedecoupling disc is compelled to perform a rotary movement through agiven angle and the radial finger of the coupling disc engages anactuating slide extending at right angles to the button bars andproviding with an opening at each of the fingers, said slide actuating awave range switch.

The invention will be described more fully with reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which FIG. I is a plan view,

FIG. 2 is a rear view of one embodiment, and

FIG. 3 is a partial, sectional view of a pushbutton and bar.

FIG. I shows a pushbutton set having a row of metal button bars 3,slidably arranged in a frame I and provided each at the foremost end inFIG. 1 the lowermost end with a rotatable hollow pushbutton 5 of asynthetic resin, which is freely displaceable relative to the bar, bymeans of which button the bars can be depressed against the force of acounterspring 7. The depressed position is indicated by the push button5 and the button bar 3 shown at the right in FIG. I. The rearmost endinFIG. 1 the topmost end-of each button bar 3 is mechanically connectedwith a tuning device 9, which may form part of a television receiver andwhich serves for turning the receiver in known manner to a predeterminedchannel by depressing a button bar. The device 9, which may be of knowntype, does not form part of the present invention and is shown in ablock diagram for the sake of simplicity of the drawing. It

may' be of a type in which the variable tuning member is formed bycapacitance diodes and it comprises a known locking bolt for holding abutton bar in the depressed state until a further button bar isdepressed as shown in US. Pat. No. 3,470,753 and indicated as 9 in FIG.1.

Particularly from FIG. I it will be apparent that each of the buttonbars 3 is provided not only with the freely rotatable and displaceablebutton 5 but also, in this order, with a coupling disc 13 having aradial finger 11 (see FIG. 2) and with a sleeve 15 havlng a partly axialand partly slanting groove 17 in its cylindrical surface said sleevebeing coaxial to the bar and freely rotatable with respect thereto. Thetwo parts 13 and 15, preferably made of a synthetic resin, are freelyrotatable on a thinner portion 3 of the button bar 3 and along with saidbar are axially displaceable owing to being enclosed between a collarformed at the beginning of the thinner portion 3 and a loose ring I9,subjected to the spring 7.

FIG. 1 shows that the foremost end of each button bar 3 is slidablyarranged in the front'part of the frame I, not directly but with theintermediary of the hollow button 5. The rear end of each button 5 isprovided with a flange 21, which limits the sliding range of the buttonin the return (forward) direction and which is provided on the rear sidewith one or more axially orientated teeth 23. The latter are adapted tocooperate with teeth 25 on the side of the coupling disc 13 facing thebutton (the front side). On the rear side the coupling disc 13 isprovided with axially orientated teeth '27 having slanting tooth faces,adapted to cooperate with an axial tooth 29 on the sleeve 15. In theframe of the device a rail 31 is fastened at right angles to the buttonbars 3 (see FIG. 2), said rail having pin-shaped extensions 33, whichextend radially with respect to the button bars 3. Each of these pinsengages (see FIG. I) the partly slanting groove 17 of one of the sleeves15 so that upon an axial displacement of a button bar 3 the associatedsleeve 15 is compelled to perform a rotary movement through a givenangle of, for example, 45. The figures illustrate this rotation by thetwo button bar structures, the right-hand structure being shown in thedepressed state.

In the operational position the tooth 29 is located in one of the slotsbetween the teeth 27 of the disc 13 and is held therein by the spring 7.When the pushbutton 5 is depressed to an extent such that at least oneof the teeth 23 (which preferably has upright flanks) enters the slotbetween two teeth 25, which slot is also bounded by upright flanks, thebutton 5, now engaged to the coupling disc 13, can be rotated stepwisewith respect to the sleeve 15, owing to the releasable engagement of theslanting flanks of the teeth 27 and 29, since the pin 33 prevents thesleeve from following said turn. FIG. 2 illustrates the two possibleextreme positions of the disc 13 and the sleeve 15 relative to eachother.

FIG. 2 furthermore shows that the radially projecting finger I] of eachof the coupling discs 13 can engage one of a plurality of openings 35provided at each of the fingers 11 in an actuating slide 37, extendingat right angles to the button bars 3 and parallel to the sequencedirection of the row of buttons (shown in FIG. 2 partly in alongitudinal sectional view), which slide actuates a wave range switch39 (see FIG. 1). The latter may be of known structure and is shown onlyas a block for the sake of simplicity. The slide 37 may be provided witha dial 41, mechanically attached thereto, a portion of which dialappears each time behind a window so as to display a certain wave range.The movement of the actuating slide 37 is governed by the radiallyprojecting finger 11 associated with the depressed pushbutton 5, in thiscase the right-hand button of the Figure. The slide 37 is exposed to aspring force orien tated to the right (for the sake of clarity thespring is not shown) which spring tends to urge the slide into theinitial position I shown (which corresponds to one of the wave ranges).From FIG. 2 it will be apparent that with the relative positions of thedisc 13 and the sleeve 15 shown on the righthand side of the Figuresthis initial position is not varied when the button 5 is depressed.Matters are different in the relative positions shown on the left-handside; when the button there is depressed, the finger 11 gets into theposition 11' shown in broken lines and the slide 37 is displaced to theleft over a given distance against the force of said spring, the switch39 then switching on the third available wave range, for example, thetelevision band lV-V. This position is, of course, maintained as long asthe button bar 3 concerned remains depressed as by a locking boltdescribed on page 4, lines 9- 11. The central wave range is switched onin the relative position of the elements 13 and 15 which is situatedbetween the two relative positions shown.

Between a collar 43 formed in each of the pushbuttons and the associatedcoupling disc 13 a compression spring 45 of greater force than thecounterspring 7 ensures that during the depression of the pushbutton thespace between the teeth 23 and 25 is maintained so that during thedepression the preselection of the wave range is prevented from beingchanged by an unintentional simultaneous rotary movement. In theembodiment shown the spring 45 does not directly affect the disc 13 butengages a ring 47 fixed to the button bar 3 between said two elements 13and 45. However, structures are possible in which the spring 45 directlybears on the disc 13. The compression spring 45 is enclosed between saidring 47 and a second ring 49, which is in contact with a stop memberformed by a collar on the button bar 3. The foremost end of the spring45 is lifted from said stop member when, starting from the positionshown on the right-hand side of FIG. 1 in which the button bar iscompletely depressed-and in which the button bar is secured againstfurther depression by the abutment of a collar 50 thereon against theframe 1the button 5 is further depressed until the teeth 25 and 23engage each other, while the spring 45 is compressed. In this state thepreselection of the wave range can be changed by turning the button.

Between the disc 13 and a second collar 51 in the button 5 a second,slightly weaker compression spring 53 ensures that the button 5 is urgedvia the flange 21 in the nondepressed state against the frame 1 so as toexclude rattling. A particularly effective arrangement is obtained if inknown manner the range of displacement of the button 5 which is freelyrotatable relative to the button bar 3 (in the return directiontowardly) is restricted by teeth 55 on the button-supporting front endof the bar 3 (in FIG. 1 it is shown in broken lines), which toothing,when the depressed button 5 is released, engages under the action of thespring 53, teeth 57 in the button 5. This engagement is not yetestablished in the situation illustrated on the right-hand side of FIG.1, which relates to the instant when the pushbutton is depressed down tothe locked position and is not yet released. After the button isreleased, it is free to be moved by the spring 53 into the position 5shown on the right-hand side of FIG. 1 by broken lines, in whichposition owning to said engagement the button bar 3 can be turned withthe aid of the button 5. The device 9 has to be of the type in this casein which the preselection of the tuning is performed in known manner byturning the button bar. When the teeth 55 and 57 are employed, thepreselection is only possible after the pushbutton 5 is released; priorthereto the button only turns loosely on the bar 3 so that during thedepression no unwanted change of the tuning can take place. FIG. 3 showsan alternate embodiment for tuning within a predetermined wave range, bymerely rotating the exposed end of bar 3, regardless of the operation ofthe other components of the pushbutton set. The remote end of bar 3engages the tuning device 9 shown in FIG. 1.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the actuating slide 37 isnever exposed to lateral pressure exerted by the force required for thedepression of the push, and button 5; there is produced only a slightamount of friction because the collar on the bar 3 near the disc 13 isurged against the disc and because the pin 33 has to slide in the groove17. However, this frictional force may be slight because the diameter ofthe bar 3 is comparatively small and because metal, here the preferablyrounded-off metal pin 33, easily slides along nylon, here the groove 17of the sleeve 15.

A slightly simplified variant is obtained, when in the manner shown inFIG. 3 the button bar 3 is prolonged at the front end and projectsslightly outwardly through an opening in the front face of the button 5.The button bar 3 and the button 5 are simultaneously depressed by theactive finger and it is thus practically not possible for the teeth 23and 25 to engage each other during the depression, even when the spring45 is absent. In the form of the button bar 3 and the button 5 shown inFIG. 3 said spring may therefore be dispensed with.

I claim:

1. A pushbutton set for cooperation with a wave range switch forpreselection and selection of wave ranges in devices such as radio andtelevision receivers, the pushbutton set including a frame, and at leastone pushbutton subassembly which comprises,

a. a push-bar having first and remote opposite ends and being axiallymovable between initial and final positions, and means for releasablyholding each bar in said final position,

b. an axially movable pushbutton engaging the first end of said bar, thebutton having an exposed end, and an internal end with a first connectorelement thereon,

c. a coupling member rotatable but axially positioned on the bar, themember having (i) a second connection element facing the buttons firstelement, (ii) a third connection element facing opposite the secondelement, and (iii) a generally radial-extending finger,

d. a cylindrical sleeve rotatable between initial and first rotarypositions, but axially positioned on the bar, the sleeve having a fourthconnection element releasably engageable with said third element, thesleeve also having a cam element which extends generally angularly withrespect to the sleeve's longitudinal axis,

e. a fixed pin extending from the frame and engaging said cam element,

f. means for engaging said coupling finger to the wave range switch toactuate same,

g. first spring means urging the first and second connection elements ofthe pushbutton and coupling member to remain axially separated,

h. second spring means weaker than the first urging said third andfourth connection elements to remain engaged, whereby 1. initial axialmovement of the push-bar driven by the pushbutton compresses only thefirst spring means, and drives the first spring means, the couplingmember and the sleeve axially, with the sleeve being rotated from saidinitial position to the first rotary position due to the fixed pinengaging the sleeves cam, and the coupling member engaged to the sleeveby said third and fourth connection elements being correspondinglyrotated, and the couplings finger then driving the wavelength switch toa first position, the bar being releasably held in said depressedposition by said means for holding same,

2. the pushbutton being further axially movable to its final position tocompress the second spring means thus engaging the first and secondconnection elements of the pushbutton and coupling member, the buttonand coupling being then rotatable together to vary the relativepositions of the coupling and sleeve and accordingly change thereleasable engagement of their third and fourth connection elements,whereby subsequent initial axial movement of the pushbutton and rotationof the sleeve due to the cam, would rotate the sleeve and engagedcoupling to a second rotary position and thus move said coupling fingerand wave range switch to a second position.

2. A pushbutton set according to claim 1 wherein there are a pluralityof different relative rotary positions of the sleeve and coupling memberas determined by the variable engagement of said third and fourthconnector elements, whereby after preselection of a particular rotaryposition by depressing rotating the bar by rotation of said button thebar being engageable to said tuning device for rotating same.

4. A pushbutton set according to claim 1 wherein said first, second,third, and fourth connection elements are axially extending toothelements.

1. A pushbutton set for cooperation with a wave range switch forpreselection and selection of wave ranges in devices such as radio andtelevision receivers, the pushbutton set including a frame, and at leastone pushbutton subassembly which comprises, a. a push-bar having firstand remote opposite ends and being axially movable between initial andfinal positions, and means for releasably holding each bar in said finalposition, b. an axially movable pushbutton engaging the first end ofsaid bar, the button having an exposed end, and an internal end with afirst connector element thereon, c. a coupling member rotatable butaxially positioned on the bar, the member having (i) a second connectionelement facing the button''s first element, (ii) a third connectionelement facing opposite the second element, and (iii) a generallyradial-extending finger, d. a cylindrical sleeve rotatable betweeninitial and first rotary positions, but axially positioned on the bar,the sleeve having a fourth connection element releasably engageable withsaid third element, the sleeve also having a cam element which extendsgenerally angularly with respect to the sleeve''s longitudinal axis, e.a fixed pin extending from the frame and engaging said cam element, f.means for engaging said coupling finger to the wave range switch toactuate same, g. first spring means urging the first and secondconnection elements of the pushbutton and coupling member to remainaxially separated, h. seCond spring means weaker than the first urgingsaid third and fourth connection elements to remain engaged, whereby 1.initial axial movement of the push-bar driven by the pushbuttoncompresses only the first spring means, and drives the first springmeans, the coupling member and the sleeve axially, with the sleeve beingrotated from said initial position to the first rotary position due tothe fixed pin engaging the sleeve''s cam, and the coupling memberengaged to the sleeve by said third and fourth connection elements beingcorrespondingly rotated, and the coupling''s finger then driving thewavelength switch to a first position, the bar being releasably held insaid depressed position by said means for holding same,
 2. thepushbutton being further axially movable to its final position tocompress the second spring means thus engaging the first and secondconnection elements of the pushbutton and coupling member, the buttonand coupling being then rotatable together to vary the relativepositions of the coupling and sleeve and accordingly change thereleasable engagement of their third and fourth connection elements,whereby subsequent initial axial movement of the pushbutton and rotationof the sleeve due to the cam, would rotate the sleeve and engagedcoupling to a second rotary position and thus move said coupling fingerand wave range switch to a second position.
 2. A pushbutton setaccording to claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of different relativerotary positions of the sleeve and coupling member as determined by thevariable engagement of said third and fourth connector elements, wherebyafter preselection of a particular rotary position by depressing thebutton to its final position and rotating same, subsequent initialdepression of the button will cause actuation of the wave range switchto said preselected position.
 2. the pushbutton being further axiallymovable to its final position to compress the second spring means thusengaging the first and second connection elements of the pushbutton andcoupling member, the button and coupling being then rotatable togetherto vary the relative positions of the coupling and sleeve andaccordingly change the releasable engagement of their third and fourthconnection elements, whereby subsequent initial axial movement of thepushbutton and rotation of the sleeve due to the cam, would rotate thesleeve and engaged coupling to a second rotary position and thus movesaid coupling finger and wave range switch to a second position.
 2. Apushbutton set according to claim 1 wherein there are a plurality ofdifferent relative rotary positions of the sleeve and coupling member asdetermined by the variable engagement of said third and fourth connectorelements, whereby after preselection of a particular rotary position bydepressing the button to its final position and rotating same,subsequent initial depression of the button will cause actuation of thewave range switch to said preselected position.
 3. A pushbutton setaccording to claim 2 for cooperation with a tuning device furthercomprising selectively engageable means between a pushbutton andpush-bar for selectively rotating the bar by rotation of said button thebar being engageable to said tuning device for rotating same.
 4. Apushbutton set according to claim 1 wherein said first, second, third,and fourth connection elements are axially extending tooth elements.